The Self Preservation Complex
by XX4aXX
Summary: Bernadette wants to get her hands on some video that Sheldon took of her and Howard's wedding.


"Of course I am the right person to do this." The fact the anyone would doubt Sheldon was beyond his belief. So for the sake of everyone's sanity Howard and Bernadette agreed to let Sheldon video tape their wedding.

Two months after the event Bernadette had still not seen any of the video that Sheldon had taken that day and she really hoped that she could perhaps use some of it to add to her own professional video that they had taken as well.

"Please Penny I think it would be better coming from you." Bernadette settled onto Penny's couch with a glass of white wine in her hand.

Penny placed the bottle back into the fridge and joined Bernadette on the couch. She looked to the ceiling and then looked at Bernadette. "But you handle him much better than me."

"I know why don't we ask Leonard?"

"Brilliant idea Bernadette, I'll ask him tonight when he gets home from the Comic Book store.

They clinked their glasses to celebrate the well solved problem.

* * *

><p>Penny watched and waited for Leonard and Sheldon to come home from the Comic Book store and finally she heard their approach up the stairs. Bernadette had left about 30 minutes ago and she was alone in her apartment. Once the guys reached the landing she opened her door, they both swung around to look at her.<p>

"Leonard, can we have a word please?" Penny stood at her doorway gesturing for Leonard to come into her apartment.

Leonard of course obediently did as Penny asked and once he was in the apartment Penny closed the door behind her.

"Leonard I need a favour" she moved toward him.

Leonard looked at Penny with anticipation of her request. "Anything."

"I need you to grab the SD card of the video that Sheldon took at Howard and Bernadette's wedding."

Leonard shifted, he didn't expect that question. "Why?"

"Bernie tells me she has asked him several times, but he always comes up with an excuse not to give it her."

"Why does she want it?"

"I think she is hoping that he took some good video of the cake, because apparently the professional video guy found it too difficult, you know being a professional."

"Oh ok." Leonard tried to sound not too disappointed with Penny's request.

Leonard walked into the apartment and took off his coat and placed his bag on his seat as usual.

"So what did Penny require assistance with?"

"Oh she just wanted me to ask you to lend Bernadette that SD card with video you took at the wedding." Leonard answered.

Sheldon turned to Leonard with indignation. "Why would Bernadette ask Penny to ask you to ask me, seems a long way around for a simple request."

"Well apparently Bernadette has asked you several times." Leonard walked over to the fridge and grabbed himself a bottle of water. "Anyway where is that SD card I will just run it over to Penny's."

If Leonard had looked he would have seen that Sheldon was fidgeting and was not truly comfortable with Leonard's request.

"I'm not too sure where it is at the moment Leonard, I will have a look for it in the next day or two."

"Can you look for it now?"

Sheldon stood up and started to walk to his bedroom. "No, I'm going to bed."

"It's only 8.00pm, even for you it is early." Leonard looked at his watch.

The next day and the day after Leonard was no closer to getting his hands on the card that Penny had requested and every time he asked for it Sheldon would come up with some excuse to not have had the time to look for it.

Leonard decided that on the Thursday night when Sheldon was working late he would go into Sheldon's room and find it himself.

Leonard had to be careful about not messing up anything in Sheldon's room or there would be hell to pay, but it didn't take him too long to find the SD card with the video on it, it was plugged into the back of Sheldon's TV in his room.

He grabbed it and took it into the lounge room, he figured the best thing to do would be just to copy whatever was on the card onto another card, return Sheldon's card and hey presto Bernadette would be happy, Sheldon wouldn't know and most of all Penny would be happy.

So he loaded the SD card onto his computer and quickly copied the files over to another card, he returned Sheldon's card and then crossed the landing to knock on Penny's door.

As Penny answered Leonard showed her his SD card. "As the lady requested."

"Oh thanks Leonard, Bernadette will be so happy, did you watch it?"

"No, once was enough for me. I'm not a fan of weddings." he realised how that sounded and tried to save the situation. "Other peoples you know, mine though, I'm going to be a fan of mine."

Penny smiled at him. "Good to know. Thanks again, I'll past it onto Bernadette tomorrow. Thanks again Leonard and goodnight." she closed her door.

Leonard stood outside on the landing disappointed, he had hoped for an invitation to watch it with Penny, he returned to his apartment. "Great so now she thinks I don't want to get married."

Penny flicked through the TV channels nothing on, so she decided to watch the wedding video. She plugged the card into the TV and started to watch.

* * *

><p>Sheldon looked up as Penny walked into the apartment, she walked right over to where he was sitting.<p>

"Yes Penny can I help you." he paused the DVD he was watching.

"Sheldon I need you to come see something, please."

Leonard looked over at them and asked. "Can I come too?"

Penny whipped around and answered that no he couldn't come, only Sheldon.

Sheldon's curiosity was peaked and so he followed Penny into her apartment.

"Take a seat please Sheldon." and Penny sat next to him. She pressed play on her remote and images of the wedding appeared on her TV. Immediately Sheldon was uncomfortable and stood up.

"Where did you get this from?" he asked.

"Sheldon, they are all of me, just me." Penny watched herself on the TV, every single frame on the SD card had been of Penny, sometimes others would appear, but Penny was always there. She pressed pause and looked up at Sheldon. "I don't understand, we fight all the time."

Sheldon repeated his question. "Where did you get this from?"

Penny stood up and looked into Sheldon's eyes. "Sheldon, I, I , I don't understand you can barely stand me, you rarely say more than two civil words to me."

Sheldon stood still and looked straight back into Penny's eyes. "It's called self preservation Penny."

With that he turned and left her apartment.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I completely stole this idea from Love Actually I admit it. Hope you enjoyed my variation of it. **


End file.
